Thursday, January 25, 2018

The
Minnesota Vikings have once again failed to achieve the ultimate goal for an
NFL team (as opposed to the ultimate goal for
the owners of 31 NFL teams). The Vikings' record of futility is not
quite as bad as some, but it's certainly impressive. The Vikings went to
Philadelphia to put on a lackluster display of force and end their season. No
doubt millions of dedicated Vikings fans – wait, are there millions of
dedicated Vikings fans?; let's say thousands instead – thousands of
dedicated Vikings fans are immensely disappointed, but I contend, as a Packers
fan and son of Wisconsin who has lived in the Twin Cities area for decades,
that the Minnesota Vikings manned up and did the right thing for their team and
their state.

Before
I get into specifics, I should state that I'm a software engineer.
Some say that what we do is convert coffee into code. I don't drink coffee, so
for me it's more of turning the fuel provided by your better foodstuffs into
code. But what I really do, day in and day out, is deal with logic. I say this
not to brag but only because some may not follow my logic here. I contend that
I have the experience and training to produce logic that is reasonable and
rational. Having grown up a Packers fan, I also have a solid rooting and
foundation for my understanding of winning sports teams and, by necessity,
their opposite.

So
here are three reasons that the Vikings were acting in a conscientious manner
by losing the NFC Championship to the Eagles:

1. They
cannot continue to emotionally torture their fans. It is a foregone conclusion
that, if they had indeed reached the big game for the first time since the Ford administration,
they would have lost it in spectacular and embarrassing fashion. Oh, they might
have kept it close with Tom Brady and the Patriots, but somewhere near the end
of the 4th quarter, or perhaps in overtime, the Vikings kicker
would kick a field goal try in the wrong direction,
or a Love Boat would have jumped the banks of the Mississippi to strike US Bank
stadium at just the wrong moment and jar the ball out of Case Keenum's hand, or
Randy Moss would have driven through several security guards and triggered a
stadium alarm that would nullify a TD catch. You get it. Something Vikings-esque. My point is that the
Vikings, knowing it was inevitable that they would choke at the last moment, in
some bizarre and unprecedented fashion, chose the high road of self-denial on
behalf of their fans and threw the NFCC game instead to save their fans more
distress. Kudos, Vikings. Kudos.

2. The
Vikings recognize it is simply wrong to be in the Super Bowl in your home stadium. It has never been done
before, and for good reason. The Super Bowl should be a neutral field of battle
and should be a destination for both teams. The Super Bowl must not be in a
place that gives one team a great (though fruitless; see point one) advantage.
The mere fact that the Helga Horn and obvious piped-in crowd noise were the
first features to be designed for the audio system of the stadium are reason
enough to disqualify it. On this point, the Vikings no doubt looked to their
older and more talented step-brother to the East, the Packers franchise. They
noted that, due to its small-city charm, community ownership, and deep-seated
love and support of its team even in down times, Green Bay will never lose its
team to a greedy owner-invoked
move, but Green Bay will also not host a Super Bowl. Some say it's
because of a lack of hotel rooms, but Packers fans know the real reason – it
would be wrong. So, good on you, Vikings, for recognizing this salient point
and acting on it.

U.S. Bank Stadium - a neutral field for the Super Bowl (as it should be)

3. Finally,
and here it gets a little personal, winning it all would be a serious slap in
the face to deceased Vikings fans. A good friend of mine passed away a few
months ago after a valiant fight with cancer. He was a stellar individual and a
gracious Vikings fan, and we enjoyed much good-natured banter and ribbing
together. He had lived through the entirety of the Vikings' irrelevance and
lack of Super Bowl victories. He had suffered through the bad kicks, the missed
opportunities, all of it. I believe the Vikings knew there were fans out there
who would have just missed the Super Bowl victory, and this final insult to
their late fans' families would be too much to bear. A solid and respectable
move, Vikings.

Thursday, January 18, 2018

While the Packers offseason started a little
earlier than normal, it is never too early to start looking forward to the 2018
draft. So, what can we expect? A trade out of the first round? An under-the-radar
receiver in round 2? Another 4th round steal at the guard or tackle? A D-II
wide receiver in the 6th or 7th round? With Ted out and Brian in, we really
don’t know what to expect in this upcoming draft.

This April, at the 2018 NFL Draft, will be the
first time we see Brian Gutekunst make significant moves as GM of the Green Bay
Packers (although, Gutekunst seems poised to make a more significant splash in
free agency than Ted Thompson did in his 13 years as Packers GM). Gutekunst and
the Packers will be working with roughly 11 picks, depending on how the
compensatory picks are calculated out. Having 11 picks would definitely be
beneficial to Gutekunst and his staff as they need to hit a home run on at
least a few of those picks in order to contend for a Super Bowl in 2018. So,
let's take a closer look at the Packers most important needs in the draft.

The two biggest needs, cornerback and edge
rusher, are so obvious that my dad even could tell you it is a dire need (my
dad believes Bakhtiari is one of the worst tackles in the game so that’s why I
use that example). Outside of those two positions, free agency plays a major
role in how important those other needs are, yet they should be addressed in
the draft regardless. The Packers could use help at tackle, guard, wide
receiver, and tight end just on the offensive side of the ball. As for the
defense, Gutekunst could and should look at inside linebacker and safety.

Just because we don’t know Gutekunst’s draft
tendencies like we did Ted’s, doesn't mean we can’t have fun trying to predict
them. So here is a list of a draft prospect or two that the Packers could
potentially take at number 14 overall for each position of need. Please keep in
mind that these projections are very early and prospects could rise and fall
just minutes before the draft, just ask Laremy Tunsil.

Offense:

Wide Receiver:

While Michael Clark looks to have a bright
future, Jordy Nelson is not getting any younger, Trevor Davis isn’t progressing
like we had hoped, and Geronimo Allison did not put up the numbers in his
sophomore season like we thought after a promising end to his rookie year.
History has shown that receivers drafted in the 1st round are not as productive
as teams have hoped. Just look at Laquon Treadwell with the Vikings, Corey
Coleman with the Browns, Mike Williams with the Chargers, John Ross with the
Bengals, or Corey Davis with the Titans. I think I made it pretty clear that I
don’t want the Packers to draft a wide receiver in the 1st round, especially
with Sammy Watkins likely to test the open market.

The Packers enter the offseason with only Lance
Kendricks under contract for the 2018 season. If Brian is anything like Ted, he
will let Richard Rodgers test the market and most likely bring him back for
close to nothing. Tight end is a complicated position to draft for because
rookies rarely make an impact until a few years into the league, which is why
resigning Richard Rodgers is important despite having little to offer outside
of his sure hands. Although the Martellus Bennett signing was a disaster, the Mike
McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers found out what it was like to have an excellent
blocking tight end, so look for Gutekunst to look for someone who can stretch
the field and offer something in the running game. Number 14 overall is far too
rich for me for the tight end position, but anything is possible.

My pick: Mark Andrews, Oklahoma

Tackle:

Bryan Bulaga’s season ended early once again due
to another torn ACL, so who knows how he will look when he returns. Kyle Murphy
filled in and also headed to IR. Jason Spriggs played a subpar right tackle but
looked much better than previous appearances. Justin McCray also played a
little right tackle as well even though he previously only played center and
guard. McCray played very well but looks to compete for the starting guard position
next season. Luckily, the Packers have David Bakhtiari on the left side and
when healthy, Bakhtiari is one the best in the business at his position. There
are two NFL ready tackles that the Packers could look at in the first round.

My pick: Connor Williams, Texas or Mike
McGlinchey, Notre Dame

Guard:

Along with center, guard was a bright spot on
the offensive line. Recently extended Lane Taylor had another promising season
at left guard while Ted Thompson kicked the tires on right guard Jahri Evans
and it paid off tremendously. Evans likely would have played every snap if the
team wasn't knocked out of the playoffs but a minor injury kept him from doing
so. Evans was solid in the running game and held his own in the passing game.
Evans could be extended but at 34 years old, don't be surprised if Brian lets
him walk after Justin "the Swiss Army knife of offensive lineman"
McCray put together a great season at both guard and tackle. There is only one
guard worth taking this early but he'll likely be off the board before 14.

My pick: Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame

Defense:

Outside Linebacker:

The Packers had next to nothing in the pass rush
this year and it really showed. Nick Perry struggled to stay healthy and even
when he was, he didn't show his worth. Clay Matthews still played with a high
motor at the age of 31 but isn't the same force he once was. Another rare free
agent signing by Ted, Ahmad Brooks, struggled to stay healthy as well but made
an impact when on the field. Kyler Fackrell once again showed that he just
doesn't have what it takes to play at an NFL level. The Packers still don’t
really know what they have in Vince Biegel after he started camp with ankle
surgery and didn't see much of the field. Reggie Gilbert, who was activated off
the practice squad for the last game of the season, raised a lot of eyebrows;
not only with his play but also with the fact that Fackrell and Odem made the
team over him. Gutekunst could go a number of ways with the plethora of
talented edge rushers in this year’s draft.

My pick: Harold Landry, Boston College

Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images

Inside Linebacker:

What’s a sophomore slump? Blake Martinez took
that step that every GM, coach, and fan hope to see out of a 4th round draft
pick. Martinez tied for first in the NFL with tackles and probably should have
made the Pro Bowl. Martinez played a major role in the run game and is an
excellent communicator, but Green Bay still lacks a compliment to him. Jake
Ryan looked slow and indecisive while Joe Thomas rarely saw the field. It is
possible that Josh Jones, rookie safety, could be moved to inside linebacker
after he showed flashes of speed and big hits. Clay Matthews could also be
moved back inside depending on what new defensive coordinator, Mike Pettine,
wants to do. Either way, the Packers should look for a coverage linebacker to
line up next to Blake Martinez.

My pick: Malik Jefferson, Texas

Safety:

It was a down year for the safety position after
what everyone expected to be a strong spot on the defense. HaHa Clinton-Dix
looked hesitant when tackling and again took poor angles towards ball carriers.
Both he and the Packers said several times that he was not hurt so hopefully
HaHa can bounce back to the All-Pro player he should be. The veteran Morgan
Burnett showed to be a valuable piece to the puzzle when the defense looked
confused during his time being injured. Burnett is set to be a free agent, but
look for Mike Pettine to persuade the front office for Morgan to return as
Pettine's defenses are known to require players with a high football IQ like
Burnett. Josh Jones looks promising but it was clear that he was much more
comfortable playing near the box rather than in coverage. Kentrell Brice, the
2016 People’s Champion, took a major step back in his play but look for him to
have a bounce-back season as he returns from a season-ending ankle injury.
Again, look for 2 guys here even though one is projected to go much earlier
than 14.

My pick: Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama or Derwin
James, Florida State

Cornerback:

Through the first 4 weeks of the season, many
people probably thought that the Packers had the worst set of cornerbacks in
the NFL. House was hurt, King was hurt, Rollins was hurt and still slow, and
Randall looked to be having character issues. Fast forward to the end of the
season and it is not great, but the group looked better as a whole. Randall
completely turned around his season and looks like he’ll have a nice career
covering the slot, outside, or even moving to safety if need be. House played a
nice veteran role but couldn’t stay healthy. King looks like he could be an
excellent player but because of injuries and lack of a playoff picture, he was
shut down early. Rollins future in the NFL is not looking great as another
rough year and a significant achilles injury likely put an end to his time in
Green Bay. The injuries got so bad that safety Jermaine Whitehead was playing
slot corner at the end of the year. Undrafted free agent Lenzy Pipkins showed
that he deserved to see the field, making a handful of nice open field tackles.
Josh Hawkins showed his speed and some flashes that he could play in this
league. Randall, King, Hawkins, and Pipkins might be the only guys remaining
from this group next year so look for the Packers to double dip at the cornerback
position once again.

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